An 85 kg worker at a breeder reactor plant accidentally ingests 2.5 mg of 239Pu dust. This isotope has a half-life of 24 100 y, decaying by alpha decay.The energy of the emitted alpha particles is 5.2 MeV, with an RBE factor of 13. Assume that the plutonium resides in the worker’s body for 12 h (it is eliminated naturally by the digestive system rather than being absorbed by any of the internal organs) and that 95% of the emitted alpha particles are stopped within the body. Calculate (a) the number of plutonium atoms ingested, (b) the number that decay during the 12 h, (c) the energy absorbed by the body, (d) the resulting physical dose in grays, and (e) the dose equivalent in sieverts.
Radioactive decay
The emission of energy to produce ionizing radiation is known as radioactive decay. Alpha, beta particles, and gamma rays are examples of ionizing radiation that could be released. Radioactive decay happens in radionuclides, which are imbalanced atoms. This periodic table's elements come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Several of these kinds are stable like nitrogen-14, hydrogen-2, and potassium-40, whereas others are not like uranium-238. In nature, one of the most stable phases of an element is usually the most prevalent. Every element, meanwhile, has an unstable state. Unstable variants are radioactive and release ionizing radiation. Certain elements, including uranium, have no stable forms and are constantly radioactive. Radionuclides are elements that release ionizing radiation.
Artificial Radioactivity
The radioactivity can be simply referred to as particle emission from nuclei due to the nuclear instability. There are different types of radiation such as alpha, beta and gamma radiation. Along with these there are different types of decay as well.
An 85 kg worker at a breeder reactor plant accidentally ingests
2.5 mg of 239Pu dust. This isotope has a half-life of 24 100 y,
decaying by alpha decay.The energy of the emitted alpha particles
is 5.2 MeV, with an RBE factor of 13. Assume that the plutonium
resides in the worker’s body for 12 h (it is eliminated naturally by
the
organs) and that 95% of the emitted alpha particles are
stopped within the body. Calculate (a) the number of plutonium
atoms ingested, (b) the number that decay during the 12 h, (c) the energy absorbed by the body, (d) the resulting physical dose in
grays, and (e) the dose equivalent in sieverts.
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